1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information display devices with an image display function, such as electronic cameras such as digital cameras, for example, and particularly to information display devices in which the menu display of various items of control information is controlled.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to set a conventional electronic camera to desired recording conditions (resolution, AE value, ISO, etc.), a user displays a recording conditioning menu on a monitor disposed in the camera, and selects a desired item from the displayed items. In order to set desired playback conditions, the user displays a playback conditioning menu on the monitor, and selects a desired item from the displayed items.
In recent years, there have been increased recording conditions and playback conditions that users can select and set. However, because the number of items that can be displayed on the monitor is limited, the items are often displayed on the screen in a hierarchical structure. Users select a desired item by performing a selection operation several times, and set recording conditions and playback conditions in accordance with the selected menu item. In setting recording conditions with such menus of hierarchical structure, it is possible to display higher hierarchies of the recording setting menu items in a horizontal direction, and display sub-hierarchies in a vertical direction.
However, even such a menu display may require relatively many times of selection operation to select a desired item. In addition, great many items are displayed. Accordingly, it takes time for the user to select a desired item. A user not used to the operation would feel very stressful because of the complicatedness. In the case where a skilled user performs a recording operation, setting his or her preference from among many items is not particularly stress if he or she is not in a hurry, but the selection operation can be very troublesome if the user wants to select recording conditions and perform recording immediately.